“After my brother went away for a while, Kawhi reached out to me. He just kind of stepped up and played the big brother role for me,” Bamba said recently. “He’s always been a family friend for us.”

Leonard and Bamba got to know each other seven years ago through the latter’s older half-brother Sidiki Johnson and were close as brothers from that point on.

After Johnson’s incarceration in 2017, it was Leonard who stepped up and mentored Bamba. It was a much needed helping hand especially in a rough time for the young 7 footer.

The Magic drafted Bamba as the 6th overall pick in June’s draft, making the two-time All-Star proud.

Last Tuesday their teams met for the first time this season. In that game, Bamba played only for 14 minutes, but was able record seven points, five boards, and a rim rattling dunk in the third period. In the end, it was the Raptors who ended up victorious, 93-91, after Danny Green’s fade-away jumper found its mark with less than a second remaining.

The Magic is currently 7th in the Eastern Conference with a 9-9 record. But they have been impressive lately by going 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Bamba is a vital piece for the Magic, he had been shooting the ball well, and could develop into one of the NBA’s defenders in the future as he learns in his first year in the league.